Author: staff
Cruise ships have been getting bigger for decades, but a proposed new vessel would make today’s floating giants look surprisingly small. Dubbed the Freedom Ship, the ambitious project aims to create the world’s first true “city at sea” – a mile-long floating community designed to carry up to 80,000 residents, visitors and crew as it continuously circumnavigates the globe. Complete with schools, parks, shops, hotels and even a hospital and sports stadium, its backers say it would be less a cruise ship and more a permanently inhabited ocean-going metropolis. There are currently two “never-ending cruises” sailing around the world –…
The 2026 Cercle Festival boasted that this year’s edition was the biggest in the event’s history. For the first time it ran for a full three days and drew around 20,000 attendees a day. It was unique for another reason too: the Cercle collective is celebrating its 10th anniversary, and the jubilee turned into a monumental show combining music, audiovisual art, space and education. During the penultimate weekend of May, the grounds of the Musée de l’Air et de l’Espace just outside Paris were transformed into an interplanetary cultural hub. Between Ariane rockets, a Concorde and the giant A380, DJs,…
With a slowing economy, soaring energy costs and mounting pressure on defense spending, PM Giorgia Meloni faces an uphill battle in next year’s Italian election. Amid all this, Zoya and Ian discuss how a recent European Commission decision to exempt certain green investments from its public-spending rules is a small win for the Italian leader. They dig deeper into the thought process behind this move from the EU executive. Also on the show, we break down some of the recent developments as Brussels tightens the screws on Moscow. One of the updates is that ministers from 11 countries are calling for restrictions on the number of EU tourist visas…
By Jerry Fisayo-Bambi with AFP Published on 04/06/2026 – 6:24 GMT+2•Updated 6:53 Israel and Lebanon agreed Wednesday to implement a conditional ceasefire that would require a “complete cessation” of fire by Iran-backed Hezbollah, according to a joint statement issued following US-led talks in Washington. The joint statement said the ceasefire was “contingent on a complete cessation” of fire by Hezbollah as well as evacuation of the group’s operatives from southern Lebanon. However, with the conditional deal based on Hezbollah, it remains unclear how events would unfold. On Tuesday, a senior Hezbollah official, Mahmud Qomati, had warned the group would “not accept a partial…
Eine außenpolitische Schlappe für Berlin: Deutschland ist bei der Wahl zum UN-Sicherheitsrat gescheitert und muss sich im Kampf um den nichtständigen Sitz Österreich geschlagen geben. Was dieses Ergebnis für die globale Wahrnehmung bedeutet und welche Fehler bei der Kandidatur gemacht wurden, analysiert Hans von der Burchard aus New York. Eine geheime US-Streichliste zeigt, wie konkret und drastisch die Amerikaner ihre militärischen Fähigkeiten, Kampfjets und Drohnen aus der europäischen Sicherheitsarchitektur abziehen wollen. Investigativ-Chef Lars Petersen ordnet den Vertrauensverlust ein. Im 200-Sekunden-Interview: Thomas Röwekamp (CDU), der Vorsitzende des Verteidigungsausschusses im Bundestag, bezieht Stellung zur schwindenden Rolle der USA und erklärt, warum Europa…
And when guests travel across the U.K., they spend locally. A family booking an Airbnb in Whitby or Winchester doesn’t just sleep there. They eat out, visit the independent deli, drink the local ale, explore local attractions. In 2025 guests on Airbnb spent £3.2 billion in local restaurants, pubs, cafés and attractions across the U.K. An average of £450 per stay going directly into local economies and fueling small, local and family run businesses. Host recommendations alone drove 7.5 million visits to local spots, generating £620 million for hospitality businesses and venues. Direct support for exactly the kinds of businesses…
“Various questions arise on the probable influence Mr Vondra’s affiliation and chairmanship of the PCTR have on his mandate as MEP,” states the complaint, which was seen by POLITICO. Defense ties Beyond Vondra’s role as honorary chair, Transparency International argues that his affiliation with the PCTR creates a potential conflict of interest. Among the center’s top partners and funders are the Czechoslovak Group (CSG) and Colt CZ Group, two major defense companies. Vondra is the lead negotiator for the ECR on the defense omnibus — part of the European Commission’s effort to slash red tape and simplify the regulatory process. He also serves the same function on a file focused on military mobility, which…
The government has already responded to Wednesday’s general stoppage, playing down its overall impact. Even so, the late afternoon was marked by scuffles outside the Assembly of the Republic, where one of several demonstrations against the labour law was taking place on this day of general strike. According to the newspaper Observador, five people were detained by the Public Security Police (PSP) following clashes between the two sides. Several rubbish bins were also set on fire, and the authorities ordered protesters to leave the area, an order that was not complied with. Prime Minister Luís Montenegro said, following the Council…
Germany’s defeat not only represents a diplomatic setback, but it is also likely to fuel domestic criticism of an already-unpopular and politically weakened Merz, particularly because the chancellor ran for the office on a promise to restore his country’s leadership role within Europe. Germany has, for decades, managed to win one of the non-permanent Security Council seats allocated to Western Europe every eight years. Ahead of the vote, Wadephul led an aggressive lobbying campaign, personally pressing his case to some 80 ministers or ambassadors around the world. But U.N. delegates ultimately favored Portugal and Austria, nations that the foreign minister appeared…
The European Commission announced on Wednesday a sweeping €92 million maritime initiative aimed at positioning the European Union as the global superpower in ocean patrolling and intelligence, citing “malicious actors” increasingly exploiting grey-zone tactics. The ocean covers 70% of the planet’s surface, but only 5% of it has been explored. The Commission’s goal for the ocean observation plan announced by Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costa Kadis and Research Commissioner Ekaterina Zaharieva is to capture 35% of the global ocean observing market and technology infrastructure by 2035, backed by €92 million in EU funds. “This is about using science and…